Stock Market & Financial Investment News

Whole Foods February volatility elevated into Q1 and growth outlook Whole Foods February call option implied volatility is at 34, March is at 26, May is at 25; compared to its 26-week average of 31 according to Track Data, suggesting larger near term price movement into the expected release of Q1 results after the close on February 13.

Whole Foods price target lowered to $34 from $45 at Piper JaffrayPiper Jaffray analyst Sean Naughton lowered his price target for Whole Foods to $34 saying the company reported slower than expected comps, lower margins than expected and provided a less favorable outlook. He believes believe earnings growth will be difficult to achieve in FY16 and keeps a Neutral rating on the stock.

Whole Foods sees 2015 sales growth of 9% Sees 2015 comparable store sales growth in the low single digits. The company said, "In this rapidly changing marketplace, we believe we are taking the necessary steps to position ourselves for the longer term," added Robb. "We remain focused on innovating and evolving to best serve our customers' diverse purchasing preferences. From the unique experience of our Whole Foods Market stores, to our growing online channel for home delivery, to the exciting launch of our 365 by Whole Foods Market stores, we are making investments to extend our reach to both new and existing customers."

Earnings Preview: Whole Foods 'value' concept in focus ahead of earningsWhole Foods Market (WFM) is scheduled to report third quarter earnings after the market close on Wednesday, July 29, with a conference call scheduled for 5:00 pm ET. Whole Foods Market is a retailer of natural and organic foods and grocer, with over 400 stores through the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. EXPECTATIONS: Analysts are expecting earnings per share of 45c on revenue of $3.69B, according to First Call. The consensus range for EPS is 43c-47c on revenue of $3.58B-$3.8B. LAST QUARTER: On May 6, Whole Foods reported second quarter EPS excluding special items of 43c, matching consensus estimates, on revenue of $3.65B, falling just short of analyst expectations of $3.7B. Whole Foods also reported second quarter same store sales growth of 3.6%. The company backed its expectation for fiscal year 2015 same store sales growth in a low to middle single digits percentage range. WHAT'S NOTABLE: During its second quarter earnings conference call, Whole Foods announced that it will launch a lower-cost concept that will offer its "industry-leading quality standards at value prices," geared toward millennial shoppers while appealing to "anyone looking for high-quality fresh food at great prices." The company said at the time it plans to begin opening stores next year and sees a "fairly rapid expansion" from there. On June 11, Whole Foods said the name of its value-focused brand will be "365 by Whole Foods Market," slated to begin opening stores in 2016. On July 1, regarding pricing issues in its New York stores, Whole Foods released a video in which co-CEOs John Mackey and Walter Robb stated, "Straight up, we've made some mistakes. We want to own that, and tell you what we're doing about it... We know [the mistakes are] unintentional because the mistakes are both in the customer's favor, and sometimes not in the customer's favor... We're doing a number of things [to fix this issue]. Most importantly, we're going to increase our training in our New York stores and around the country, because we want to be perfect in this area... Secondly, we're implementing a third-party auditing system so that we can see whether we're making progress in this area or not - and in another 45 days, we're going to begin reporting back to you, the customer, exactly what kind of progress we're making here. The final thing is that we want to give [a] 100% guarantee to our customers. If for any reason you think there's a mistake... if there's a mistake that's not in your favor, we promise to give you that item for free." STREET RESEARCH: On the day after the company's last earnings report, the stock received at least one upgrade and at least one downgrade. RBC Capital upgraded the stock to Outperform from Sector Perform, thinking that its comparable sales can accelerate, driven by easier comparisons and store refreshes. RBC also lowered Whole Foods' price target to $51 from $54. The same day, Bank of America Merrill Lynch downgraded Whole Foods to Neutral and cut its price target on shares to $48 from $65, citing an uncertain same store sales outlook and the potential impact of its new store concept on its core business. Credit Suisse maintained its Neutral rating on the company, but lowered the price target to $40 from $52 due to weaker Q2 comps and the strategy shift to a value-oriented format. Deutsche Bank also lowered its price target for Whole Foods to $40 from $54 for similar reasons. On June 9, Macquarie initiated Whole Foods with a Neutral rating and a $44 price target. On July 13, Cowen said its survey of over 1,000 U.S. consumers regarding their food behaviors indicated that that buyers are in an early stage of demand for more transparent grocery and restaurant offerings. Cowen added in that note that it was concerned about how Whole Foods' rollout of a second concept could potentially impact its core brand. PRICE ACTION: Shares of Whole Foods have slid more than 13.5% over the past three months. In afternoon trading, Whole Foods shares were up 1.6% to $41.60 ahead of the company's earnings report tonight.